ARIWO !

Atiku congratulates Jonathan

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA – FOURTEEN days into the conduct of the Presidential election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar , Friday, congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan following his victory at the Presidential poll.

Atiku Abubakar also extended his hands of fellowship to President Jonathan, just as  he advised him to carry every section of the country along, regardless of how they may have voted during the elections.

In a statement from his office, Friday, Atiku who noted that the future and unity of a nation should be uppermost in the mind of every statesman, however explained that partisan politics ends with the election of leaders and that the next challenge should focus on how to uplift the welfare of Nigerians, adding, “It is no longer news that President Jonathan and our camp differed on matters of principle. But let no one be in doubt about our resolve to work together with him in the arduous task of economic development and nation building.”

The former Vice President noted that with the successful conclusion of this year’s general elections, President Jonathan and all elected leaders as well as fellow countrymen must immediately get to work if the much needed democratic dividends must be delivered to Nigerians….

continued

Copyright, Blaise APLOGAN, 2010,© Bienvenu sur Babilown

Toute republication de cet article doit en mentionner et l’origine et l’auteur sous peine d’infraction

Soyinka decries post-presidential polls violence

NOBEL laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday condemned the post-presidential election violence in some northern states, describing the destruction that trailed the declaration of the results as a premeditated act.

Soyinka endorsed the results of the April 16 presidential election, which returned incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan for a fresh term. While congratulating the winner, Soyinka explained that citizens’ reports as collated by ReclaimNaija, a grassroots political forum with a mission to promote electoral transparency, seemed to tally with the figures released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a number of polling booths.

“Having made comparisons with those reports, which we received directly from polling booths, which forms the data for ReclaimNaija, my view, quiet frankly, is that the presidential elections were won by Goodluck Jonathan. It is not my business to say what methods were used in influencing voters; it is not within ReclaimNaija’s competence to comment on things like that. We are dealing strictly with figures collated at ReclaimNaija, and sent directly from announcements at polling booths, and sent by citizens who are present…”

He continued: “Judging from the results and figures that were announced, in terms of voters tally, I think you will find that ReclaimNaija’s figures do not differ substantially from the ultimate voter returns announced by INEC.”

While condemning the loss of lives that trailed the declaration of President Jonathan as winner of the polls in some states in the North, Soyinka said that life was snuffed out of the victims for no justifiable reason. He expressed shock at what he described as the gleeful manner in which the “decimation of humanity” was carried out…

Continued

Copyright, Blaise APLOGAN, 2010,© Bienvenu sur Babilown

Toute republication de cet article doit en mentionner et l’origine et l’auteur sous peine d’infraction

Nigerians Elect State Governors amid Bombings

Counting is underway after the final round of Nigeria's lengthy election process, which was marred by the deaths of an estimated 500 people.

Elections for Nigeria's 36 powerful governors were delayed in two of the states hit by the worst violence.

More bombs exploded in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri. No-one was hurt in the city, where at least three people have been killed since Sunday.

The governorship elections have been relatively peaceful with low turnout.

Counting began in public at polling stations around the country after voting officially ended at 1600 local time (1500 GMT).

'Bomb in a pothole'

Governors enjoy wide powers in Nigeria and some, especially in oil-producing areas, control bigger budgets than those of national governments in some neighbouring West African countries.

The BBC's Mansur Liman in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, says turnout was generally low in the northern states, where the region's saw its presidential candidate defeated last week.

Turnout also appears low in the biggest city, Lagos, possibly because of voter fatigue in what is now a fourth week of elections, the BBC's Tomi Oladipo reports.

In Rivers State, in the volatile oil-producing Niger Delta, the BBC's Fidelis Mbah says the election was largely peaceful, contrary to expectations.

However, there are some unconfirmed reports of intimidation elsewhere in the Niger Delta…

continued

Copyright, Blaise APLOGAN, 2010,© Bienvenu sur Babilown

Toute republication de cet article doit en mentionner et l’origine et l’auteur sous peine d’infraction

Nigeria : One killed, churches, shops razed as youths protest in Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno Kano, Kaduna

BY NDAHI MARAMA AND BALA AJIYA
FEW hours to announce the results of the presidential elections that took place last Saturday all over the 36 states of the federation, there were massive protests in some parts of the Northern states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno Kano, Kaduna and Yobe state alleging that the ruling Peoples Democratic party (PDP) had connived with INEC and other security agencies to rig, manipulate and influence the outcome of the results at the detriment of the Congress for ProgressAive Change and other opposition parties.

In Damaturu, the Yobe state capital, our correspondent reports that, there was a heavy protest by some aggrieved youth believed to be pro-Buhari who was the presidential Candidate of the CPC….

continued

Copyright, Blaise APLOGAN, 2010,© Bienvenu sur Babilown

Toute republication de cet article doit en mentionner et l’origine et l’auteur sous peine d’infraction

Nigerians out in force for vote, Jonathan ahead

ABUJA (Reuters) - Tens of millions of Nigerians voted on Saturday in the most credible presidential election for decades, with very early results from a handful of polling stations showing President Goodluck Jonathan ahead.
From the tin-roofed shacks of the Niger Delta, where Jonathan cast his vote, to the dusty alleyways of Daura, the northern home village of his main rival, ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, voters came out en masse.
In the sprawling commercial hub of Lagos, where many polling stations finished early, voters stayed on to watch the count, shouting out the total as polling agents tallied the ballots.
"The politicians should know if they don't perform they are going to be voted out," said businessman Ahibuogwu Brian among the populous lagoon-side shanties of Makoko. "The electorate now know we have the power to chose our leaders."
The polls pit Jonathan, the first head of state from the oil-producing Niger Delta, against Buhari, a northern Muslim with a reputation as a disciplinarian.
Results from around a dozen polling units gave Jonathan a comfortable lead in Lagos, where his ruling party performed weakly in parliamentary elections last week. It was a similar story in the Niger Delta and parts of the southeast….

continued

Copyright, Blaise APLOGAN, 2010,© Bienvenu sur Babilown

Toute republication de cet article doit en mentionner et l’origine et l’auteur sous peine d’infraction

Benin journalists protest attacks

A march against the beating of Journalists covering events. (Benoit Koffi)

Six associations of media professionals in Benin rallied Tuesday in Cotonou, the capital, in a protest march against what they called "the barbarity of security forces" against journalists.

This West African country is considered a showcase of democracy, but developments in recent weeks have tarnished a tradition of tolerance and respect for human rights, especially freedom of the press. President Thomas Yayi Boni was sworn in for a second five-year term last week in a ceremony boycotted by his challenger Adrien Houngbedji who has refused to recognize him on the grounds that the results of last month's contested presidential elections were rigged.

"In recent political protests, journalists were chased, beaten, injured, and treated just like protesters," said Jérôme Carlos, director of private station Capp FM and one of the leaders of the march Tuesday. "Security forces demonstrated incomprehensible zeal. We must protest against all these abuses." 

Carlos was referring to the March 24 police beating of reporter Séïdou Choubadé of the daily Le Nokoué. Choubadé was caught up in a demonstration as the opposition protested results of the presidential elections declaring Yayi the winner. Despite showing his press card to police, Choubadé was attacked. He was left with his face puffed-up, his upper lip cut, his hands injured,  and his motorbike taken by officers.

An estimated 400 members of the press marched. (M. Polycarpe Toviho)

Brice Houssou, the chairman of the Benin Union of Media Professionals, known as UPMB, denounced "the indiscriminate and gratuitous violence" against Moustapha Sèmiou Bashola, editorial secretary of the daily Les Scoops du Jour by security guards of the speaker of the National Assembly on February 18. "Security guards of the speaker and those of other politicians chased, beat up and roughed him up, as if he were a criminal," Houssou said. Bashola was covering a public meeting of the ruling majority in the Assembly. UPMB reported that two of the speaker's security guards later admitted to attacking the journalist after allegedly overhearing Bashola criticize the speaker outside the meeting.   

Journalists also denounced the continuing "violence and battery" against journalists of state-run national media at public events they are supposed to cover, as well as the "bullying and discrimination of reporters by security officers and the central administration."  For instance, local media reported a March 11 assault on journalist Claude Adigbli of state news agency Agence Bénin-presse by a plainclothes member of the presidential guard after he approached the man to ask questions. The attack occurred on the last day of campaigning at a rally in support of Yayi….

continued

Copyright, Blaise APLOGAN, 2010,© Bienvenu sur Babilown

Toute republication de cet article doit en mentionner et l’origine et l’auteur sous peine d’infraction

Ghana's former first lady to run in primaries

ACCRA, Ghana — Ghana's former first lady, the wife of longtime ruler Jerry Rawlings, says she will challenge the current president in her party's July primaries.

Nana Konadu Rawlings, 62, in a letter to the National Democratic Congress' secretary-general Thursday, says she is resigning as first vice-chairman so she can contest President John Atta Mills in July presidential nominations for next year's general election.

This is the first time a sitting president has been challenged by a member of the ruling party. If chosen, Konadu would also become the first woman to stand for presidential elections.

 

 

continued

Copyright, Blaise APLOGAN, 2010,© Bienvenu sur Babilown

Toute republication de cet article doit en mentionner et l’origine et l’auteur sous peine d’infraction

France must STOP war crimes in Côte d'Ivoire !!!

France must STOP war crimes in Côte d'Ivoire !!!

Copyright, Blaise APLOGAN, 2010,© Bienvenu sur Babilown

Toute republication de cet article doit en mentionner et l’origine et l’auteur sous peine d’infraction